1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting a display board or a circuit board, and more particularly to a mechanism for exchanging a display board or a circuit board in an inspection apparatus.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, an inspection of a display board or a circuit board as represented by a liquid crystal panel and a plasma display panel is carried out in the following manner. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a block probe supporting frame member 2 for supporting an inspection probe block B thereon is arranged at a front side of a display board or circuit board P, and a board supporting frame member 1 for supporting the display board or the circuit board P thereon is arranged at a rear side of the board. The board supporting frame member 1 arranged at the rear side is relatively movably arranged for advancement and retraction with respect to the probe block supporting frame member 20. An inspection terminal 4 of the inspection probe block B supported on the board supporting frame member 1 is pressed into contact, for inspection, with an electrode pad 3 of the display board or the circuit board P supported on the board supporting frame member 1 by advancement of the board supporting frame member 1. After the completion of the inspection, the board supporting frame member 1 is retracted/retreated sideways so that the display board or the circuit board P can be exchanged with another board.
Accordingly, the conventional inspection apparatus needs an occupation space for exchange of boards in addition to an occupation space for the inspection of the display board or the circuit board. For this reason, the conventional inspection apparatus is inevitably made large in size.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for inspecting a display board or a circuit board, in which no occupation space for exchanging a display board or a circuit board is needed. In addition, the apparatus for inspecting the display board or the circuit board can be miniaturized, and a display board or a circuit board can easily and safely be exchanged at a front surface of a probe block supporting frame member without creating interference between an inspection terminal of a probe block and a display board or a circuit board.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for inspecting a display board or a circuit board, wherein the probe block supporting frame member has an enlargable and reducible structure. In particular, the probe block supporting frame member can be enlarged and the board supporting frame member can be relatively advanced, and by the relative advancement of the board supporting frame member, the display board or the circuit board is caused to protrude forward of a distal end of the terminal of the probe block through an enlarged opening portion of the probe supporting frame member. Therefore, the display board or the circuit board supported on the board supporting frame member can be exchanged with another board.